19 Feb 2015Swiss National Science Foundation

Four Consolidator Grants for Junior Researchers at UZH

Junior researchers at UZH have been awarded four of the Swiss National Science Foundation’s 21 Consolidator Grants. One of these researchers is microbiologist Anne Müller. She is investigating Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that can trigger gastric cancer, but also protects against allergies.

Roger Nickl

Receiving a Consolidator Grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation: microbiologist Anne Müller. (Image used with permission)

In the course of her research
into the bacterium Helicobacter pylori at the UZH Institute of Molecular Cancer
Research, microbiologist Anne Müller has gotten to know two sides of the
microorganism: a good, and a bad. On the one hand her work has shown that
Helicobacter in our stomach helps the body prevent allergies. On the other hand
various research groups have shown that the bacterium facilitates the
development of gastric cancer.

Generally passed on by mothers
to their new-born babies, Helicobacter is widespread all over the world. The
earlier the infection takes place, the less problematic it is. If the bacteria
invade the stomach after the immune system has been built up, they are attacked
by T cells. But Helicobacter knows how to neutralize these attacks. The
unsuccessful immune responses from the T cells disrupt the balance in the
stomach, resulting over time in chronic inflammation of the stomach lining,
which in turn can lead to cancer.

So far scientists’ knowledge
of precisely how cancer occurs in the stomach is fairly limited. This has
prompted microbiologist Anne Müller to try and find out more about the
mechanisms responsible and the role played by Helicobacter. Her findings will
serve as the basis for targeted therapies to combat the disease.

Basis
of a new drug for children

Helicobacter pylori is also
important in terms of allergies. But in this case it plays the good guy,
helping prevent children from developing asthma and other allergic reactions.
Researchers have found that early infection with Helicobacter is useful on two
counts, providing protection from allergies without increasing the risk of
cancer.

Anne Müller is currently
working in the lab to develop an active agent made up of components of the
Helicobacter bacterium. The goal is to desensitize the immune system and
prevent allergic reactions. This could be a promising therapy or prophylaxis
helping small infants avoid health problems later on in life. The initial
findings suggest that the strategy actually works. However, it will be years
before the active agent can be used in practice, if at all.

Four
Consolidator Grants for UZH

nullnullThe Swiss National Science
Foundation (SNSF) is awarding 21 new Consolidator Grants for promising projects
conducted by young researchers. These grants are part of a backup scheme for
researchers who are temporarily unable to apply for a prestigious ERC grant for
the time being. Under the grants, researchers receive up to CHF 2 million over
five years.
null
Four of the 21 approved
projectsare based at UZH. The other UZH recipients besides microbiologist Anne
Müller at the Institute of Molecular Cancer Research are Professor Sebastian
Jessberger at the Brain Research Institute, Professor Lucas Pelkmans at the
Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, and Professor Stefano Pozzorini at the
Physics Institute. Sebastian Jessberger is investigating the processes involved
in the formation of neurons in the brain. Lucas Pelkmans is researching the way
cells regulate the generation of membraneless organelles. And Stefano Pozzorini
is looking for new algorithms for simulating particle collisions at CERN.
null

Roger Nickl is editor at UZH Magazin.

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